License-plate holder.



W. H. JUAN.

LICENSE PLATE HOLDER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 7, 1914.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

WALTER H. JUAN, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

LICE'NSE-PIATE HOLDER.

ideama.

Application filed May 7, 1914. Serial No. 836,846.

' 1 "o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER H. JUAN, a citizen \of the United States, residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Licerise-Plate Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention' relates to means for holding and displaying license plates on automobiles and other vehicles, and the object of the invention is to provide neat andiat tractive means for mounting the license plate in position to be easily seen, protecting it against dust while traveling, and illuminating it efliciently at night.

The invention consists in certain novelfeatures of 'construction and arrangement by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show an approved form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of an` automobile equipped with ythe improved holder. Fig. 2 1s a corresponding side view. The remaining figures are on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the plate holder in the closed condition. Fig. 4f is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the holder in the open condition. Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3..

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.v

A is the rear portion ofv the body of an automobile, shown as of the bell-back or outwardly curved tonneau type, having a recess provided in the rear face, preferably at one side of the center line, in which a receptacle or casing B is received and permanently held. The casing is'of general rectangular form Withthe rear face shaped 'to match to and lie approximately flush with the adjacent surface of the body A, and

.such rear face is covered by a door hinged at c to the lower edge of thecasing and arranged' to swing downwardly to permit access tothe interior of the casing.y They door comprises an outside frame C of metal having two vertical bars C1 C1 and a horizontal bar C2 at the upper portion between theyvertical bars. Thespaces thus formed are filled with'panels of glass D D1 D2 and D3, the panel D of clear or icolored glassoc- Specification of Letters Patent.

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of the door when the latter is closed, and on the plane inner face ofthe main central chamber, preferably in the lower portion thereof, is mounted the license plate M held firmly in place by the winged screws M1 extending through openings in the plate into the back wall of casing. The plate is so located relatively to the panel D as to be easily seen therethrough. Thumb-screws C* C4 extending through the bars C1' C1 at their junction with the bar C2, into the partitions B1 B2, hold the door securely closed.

Mounted on the interior of the upper wall of the casing are incandescent electric lamps F, F?, F2, the first, F, located centrally 1n the large middle chamber, and F1 F2 located each in one of the narrow side chambers, and each connected to` a battery or other source of current and controlled by suitable switches, 'not shown, so that any may be caused to glow when desired. The lamps lie behind the 4red panels and are not visible when inactive.

By daylight the license plate M is plainly seen'at all times through the plain panel -red panel D3,which serves as the tail light,

while the plate is exposed to the full illuminating power of the lamp. v y The lamps F1 and F2 inthe side chambers throw no light upon the license plate and are intended to serve in indicatingto a following car the intention to turn to the right or left; by lighting the lamp F2 for a brief period and thus showing a red llght at the right ofthe plate M an intentlon to turn to the right is indicated, anda c orresponding lighting of the lamp F1 indicates a turn to the left. v

By inclosing the license plate wlthin the casing it is protected fromdust and conse' at a comparatively high point on the car the plate is veryV favorably presented for observation. The glass panels are suiiciently above the roadway to avoid soiling rapidly, and may be easily and'quickly cleaned when obscured, by simply vviping thesurfaces.

l. A easing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, partitions in said easing dividing its interior into'separated chambers, one of said chambers adapted to contain a license plate, means on the front face of the back Wall of said chamber for holding a license plate, a door for said easing having an uncolored transparent panel covering the chamber containing such plate and through which the latter is visible, and having colored transparent panels c oveiing the others of said chambers, and lamps in said chambers.

2. A easing adapted to be mounted in a recess in an automobile body, partitions in said casing dividing its interior into a'central and side chambers, means on the front face of the back Wall oli-said chamber for holding a license plate in such central chamber, a door on said casing having an uncolored transparent panel covering a portion of such central chamber, and having colored transparent panels covering the remaining portion of such central chamber and such side-cha1nbers, and a lamp in each of said chambers.

3. A casing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, vertical partitionsdividing said casing into a main and vertical narrow chambers, an electric lamp in each of said chambers,A means for supporting a license plate within the main chamber, a door movably mounted on said casing and forming the front wall thereof and provided ivith horizontal and vertical bars forming a main opening' and horizontal and vertical narrow openings, panels ol colored glass in said narrow openii'lgs and a panel oil uncolorcd 

